October 31, 2011

ESPN’s live telecast of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway on Sunday, Oct. 23, earned a 3.9 national household coverage rating, averaging 5,430,000 viewers, according to the Nielsen Company. The rating is up from a 3.6 for last year’s race that also aired on ESPN.

The ratings were delayed due to an internal coding issue with ESPN and Nielsen that affected four days of programming.

Woman of pressdog® Shannon McIntosh participated in a Road to Indy test on the IMS road course with Pabst Racing Services. Two questions, 1) is "Pabst" related to the beer and 2) is Pabst the team of 2012 for Shantastic? I'll get on that, while you read this news release:

INDIANAPOLIS (Oct. 31, 2011) – Mazda Road to Indy driver Shannon McIntosh had a flurry of emotion as she sped across the 100-year-old “Yard of Bricks” at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in her USF2000 machine this past weekend during a two-day test as apart of the Chris Griffis Memorial Mazda Road to Indy Open Test.

October 27, 2011

Pippa Mann underwent surgery on Tuesday to reconstruct the side of her right hand, including the little finger. The operation itself took approximately four hours to complete, but was deemed a success and Pippa is now at home in Indianapolis, recovering. In what was an intricate and expert procedure, doctors have moved nerves, blood vessels, tendon and skin grafts from her ring finger and forearm, in an effort to rebuild the little finger.

Mann’s right arm is now extensively set in a bandaged cast, but doctors are confident that Pippa will be sufficiently recovered to be back in a car in January, and have a fully functional hand within six months.

Pippa talked about how the crash unfolded and defended the rookies in an interview HERE.

Will Power, who like Pippa went airborne in the crash, suffered a compression fracture in his spine. He is expected to make a full recovery without surgery. Read about Power's injury HERE.

October 24, 2011

The Dan Wheldon memorial auction opened for bids today. To view the wonderment, go HERE (and scroll down). The auction is the brainchild of Graham Rahal. Ebay and auction organizers have waved their fees and all items are donated, so 100% of proceeds go to a fund to support Wheldon's family.

Note: New items are being added to the auction continously, so check back for more stuff.

Donations to a trust fund for the benefit of Wheldon's wife and two sons can be sent to:

All of Fifth Third Bank's Indianapolis branches also are accepting contributions in person, which will be routed to the account.

Fans also can choose to make a donation to the Dan Wheldon Family Trust Fund or the Alzheimer's Association, a cause close to his heart. For more details, visit www.alz.org or www.danwheldonmemorial.com, a GoDaddy.com-created memorial site, which includes a Facebook link to leave condolences and remembrances and a career photo retrospective.

Those wishing to send their sympathy and condolences to the Wheldon family can address letters to:

As part of Phase 1 of the investigation, an internal team led by series safety and competition officials is evaluating data to make a factual determination of the circumstances surrounding the entire incident.

The investigation team will utilize outside, independent experts and consultants for analysis of various aspects of the data. The results of the investigation will be turned over to an independent, third-party group for validation.

"We must continue to move forward with a thorough investigation," said Randy Bernard, CEO, INDYCAR. "Fortunately, that has already begun, and we have the protocols in place to get this done. This was a tragic accident, and INDYCAR needs to understand everything possible about it."

INDYCAR anticipates Phase 1 will be complete in several weeks. Phase 2 of the investigation will utilize the information learned in Phase 1 to minimize risks in the future.

October 21, 2011

Graham Rahal didn’t know what he was starting when he offered to auction the race-used helmet, gloves and shoes he used in Las Vegas to raise money for the family of the late Dan Wheldon.

Rahal’s gesture began an outpouring of support from celebrities and athletes around the world who wanted to donate memorabilia to raise money for the Dan Wheldon Family Trust Fund.

Auctions for donated items will begin on Monday, Oct. 24 with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the Dan Wheldon Family Trust Fund. The auction will be run by online auction site eBay, which has waived all fees, and Auction Cause, a Los Angeles-based auction management agency specializing in high profile corporate, celebrity, and nonprofit eBay auction events.

October 20, 2011

Funeral services for IZOD IndyCar Series driver Dan Wheldon will be held at 10 a.m. (ET), Saturday, Oct. 22, at First Presbyterian Church of St. Petersburg, 701 Beach Drive N.E. in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Wheldon's wife, Susie, released the following statement on behalf of the family, inviting members of community to attend the service: